***
It was late afternoon by the time everyone had come together and Hakon had told the tale of his dream vision.
“Surtr,” said Gunhilde, shaking her head. “Once again, that wicked giant sets his hand against us.”
“He must hate my family, and Sif’s,” rumbled Brynn. “Huw and I destroyed the bone-wands, and now my sons slay his champion.”
“This fight is not yet over,” Huw reminded him. “Surtr still seeks to break into this world, thanks to this cursed fiery mountain in the far North.”
“I want to know more about this supposed magic that will let Hakon bond with Sif,” observed Astrid.
“Is it even safe?” asked Kasia.
“I am not sure that my daughter should try this,” said Huw uncertainly.
“The world will suffer if she does not,” intoned Sigrid.
“Enough!” shouted Hakon, and the gathering fell silent as he and Sif rose to their feet. “Mother, Father, all of you, we thank you for your concern, and Odin knows we need your wisdom and counsel. But please, I ask of you, remember that this final task has fallen to Sif and me. I know my woman. If she can be of service to Freyja, and in doing so will help the world, she will do it. I would be a fool to try and step in her way.”
Sif’s face was shining as she looked at Hakon and put her arm around his waist.
“But I also know that I would never, not in a thousand years, let her go without me,” Hakon continued. “So please regard the matter of theifas settled. We are here to discuss thehow, and for that, I follow Freyja’s guidance and seek the counsel of Baedi.”
The Elder Witch stood. “Not surprisingly, the lady Freyja was right on both counts,” said Baedi. “There is a way for you two to travel together, and I do know what it is. There are a number of conditions that need to be fulfilled, but simply put, the two of you must be joined to make the journey.”
“Then let us arrange their marriage!” cried Brynn. “We’ve all known that was going to happen since you were children anyway.”
At the back of the gathering, Gunnar instinctively and quietly rubbed his bandaged hand, but for the first time in long years, there was no twinge of pain. He smiled.
Baedi gave a small cough. “Brynn, that is not the kind of joining that I meant.”
“You mean they’ve got to be—hmp!” cried Brynn as Kasia punched him in the ribs.
Hakon felt his face get very hot and he glanced down at Sif, who was blushing and would not meet his eyes.
“Do our, uh, parents need to be here while we hear your explanation?” he asked Baedi.
“I am certain we do not,” said Astrid firmly. “I trust to your wisdom, Elder Sisters, and that you will watch over our children as they attempt this dangerous thing.” The gathering dispersed save for Hakon, Sif, and the witches. They could hear Brynn protesting in what he imagined was a whisper, “WellIdidn’t know they were talking about fucking!” and then the sounds of conversation faded away to be replaced by an awkward silence.
“So do we, uh, get a tent to ourselves, or…” Hakon’s voice trailed away as Sif hissed at him. All of this felt surreal, and the young warrior was filled with the urge to laugh, despite the gravity of the situation.
The witches, however, were most serious. “Erotic magic is some of the oldest and most powerful of all,” said Gunhilde. “Far too often, we Ironwood witches forget because our interactions with the outside world are fleeting, and we most often use the feminine to tame the masculine. But with lovers who truly share all with each other, it is possible to join these aspects of sexuality together and become something greater. Baedi’s return has reminded us of this. Perhaps some of our ways may be changing.”
“What this means for you, Sif and Hakon, is that I will be teaching you a ritual that unleashes your sexual energies and allows you to strike back against an ancient evil,” said Baedi. “Are you committed to this path?”
Hakon and Sif looked at each other and nodded. “Let us begin,” said Sif.
Chapter Twelve
Sometime later, Hakon laced up the ties that secured the high-ceilinged tent and turned to look at Sif. She was naked, and magnificently so, lying on her back on a wide bed strewn with pillows and furs. Her golden hair lay spread behind her like a Valkyrie’s wings, and already the scent of her arousal was mingled with the smell of the pine incense burning in a corner of the room.
Hakon was also naked, and his cock was so hard that it was painful. All he wanted to do was plunge his length into Sif’s sweet, inviting pussy, but he knew that for this ritual to succeed, he would have to call upon all of his focus and discipline.
He took a deep breath, and calmed his mind as he remembered what Baedi had taught them. He reached for the bowl of sweet honey that lay upon a table near the bed. He gathered a small amount of the honey on two fingers of his right hand.
“In Freyja’s name,” he said, “I salute your breasts. The givers of life and nourishment, the sources of joy and pleasure.” Gently, his lightly honeyed fingerscircled her nipples, leaving her areolas with a small amount of the sweetly scented liquid. His fingers worked with increasing firmness, and Sif’s nipples stiffened in response. She moaned and arched her back slightly. Hakon lowered his head and licked delicately at Sif’s honeyed nipples. She gasped as he moved from a light licking to a firm sucking, teething at her nipples as they stiffened even farther.
Hakon stepped back, and Sif let her body sink back into the bed. She squirmed a little.
